In looking at Ubaldo and his free agency one has to wonder if the Indians are better off letting him walk or taking a tremendous chance in signing and hoping that he continues down the path he had in the 2nd half of the 2013 season. Even those that want to sign him to a long term deal acknowledge that it will be a big risk considering what the ups and mostly downs Ubaldo has provided since being traded to the Indians.
Let's remember that the Indians got Ubaldo in 2011 for Joe Gardner, Matt McBride, Drew Pomeranz and Alex. The jaded long time Indians fans would swear to you that the Indians had just traded Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale in Pomeranz and White respectively the Indians felt they were acquiring an ace that possibly needed a change of scenery and mechanics to be readjusted. Ubaldo had definitely been an ACE in Colorado including seasons of 15-12, 3.47 ERA and 218 innings and a season of 19-8, 2.88 ERA with 221.2 innings. After the Trade to say the Ubaldo was disappointing was an understatement because he promptly went on to post a 4-4 record, 5.10 ERA in 65.1 innings. Not exactly what the Indians had in mind when they acquired him
Fast forward to the 2012 season where Ubaldo was going to bounce back and anchor the rotation along with Justin Masterson to help the Indians become a good team. Again, it didn't happen. Ubaldo went on to post a 9-17, 5.10 ERA in 176.2 innings. At this stage of the game it was hard to argue the fact that the Indians and Rockies made a bad trade from both sides because the two headliners from the Rockies side did nothing as well.
Once again we fast forward to the 2013 season with a new Manager in Tito Francona and new Pitching Coach in Mickey Callaway. Callaway, would fly to the Dominican to work with Ubaldo with his mechanics throughout the winter because it was over the span that they were all over the place. Throughout Spring Training and the first half of the year Ubaldo were a mixed bag because he posted a 7-4 record, 4.56 ERA and pitched at that point. Up at this point the Indians weren't very confident in Ubaldo at this point because on several occasions at least twice vs the Tigers the Indians skipped his start because they felt he would creamed by them and they disguised it as he just needed more time to work with Callaway.
On a personal note my breaking point with Ubaldo was when he was given a 5-0 lead going into the sixth inning and promptly walked the first two batters, committed an error and then gave up a grand slam to Lorenzo Cain to get the Royals right back into the game. The Indians would go on to lose the game by a score of 10-7 and I had enough of Ubaldo and his inconsistency not only during this game but with his entire tenure with the Tribe. I wanted him gone immediately. Little did I know that what was in store for not only myself but the Indians as a whole.
From the point forward in July Ubaldo would be flat out dominant he would routinely get the Indians into the 7th and 8th innings and had become a stalwart in the Indians' march toward the playoffs. The month of July would end up 2-1 and 2.83 ERA, August 1-4, 3.10 EA and of course the month of September where Ubaldo would go on to be 4-0, 1.09 ERA.... HELLO!!! This not only put the Indians in the playoffs but some recognized the Indians as a dangerous team in the playoffs because of how hot Ubaldo was and Masterson coming back from injury(I still contend that if Masterson weren't injured the Indians would've won the Wildcard game and had a punchers chance vs the Red Sox).
We fast forward to free agency and admittedly I was in the crowd that said the Indians should do whatever it takes to resign Ubaldo to help Masterson anchor this rotation. For the vast majority of the off season I held this belief until just recently where I figured that resigning Ubaldo would hurt the Indians going forward for number of reasons.
Assuming that Ubaldo wouldn't be interested in just a one year deal the resigning of him would almost mean the loss of one Justin Masterson. Masterson has become a stalwart in this rotation with his consistency(outside of '12 when he was injured) and simply has been more reliable than one Ubaldo Jimenez. Yes, it came down to the consistency of Justin Masterson and the flat out inconsistency of Ubaldo Jimenez , it shouldn't be a hard decision despite Ubaldo's dominance with the Tribe down the stretch and brilliance before joining the Tribe with the Rockies. Even if you don't resign Masterson the Tribe maintains financial flexibility so they can get someone else in to fill the holes instead of having the albatross of having Ubaldo's contract and money strangling them in which he may or may not perform up to.
I also believe the resigning Ubaldo would retard the growth of some of the Indians' starters who need to be given a consistent rotation spot to realize their awesome potential. Yes, I am speaking of starters such as Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and the forgotten one himself Josh Tomlin. I think some forget that Carrasco was before he was injured. Yes, I admit that he has been very inconsistent going forward as a starter but the Tribe seems hell bent on giving him consistent starts going forward. Trevor Bauer is another talented young Starter for the Tribe that could bust out in '14. He had control issues along with being uncomfortable with his delivery. After working with Callaway over the winter it appears that all of this has been ironed out going forward. Josh Tomlin is another pitcher that is often forgotten who before being shut down in '12 after rocky year and missing almost all of '13 season is back. Once again people forget that Tomlin was 12-5, 4.25 ERA in his first full year with the Tribe. Also, in 30 innings in '13 didn't walk one batter so command is back.
The addition of a #1 pick. One of the unspoken things about the Indians is that they are emphasizing drafting, developing their own players in their system. With losing Ubaldo the Indians would get another #1 pick along with the other two that they have to stock the farm system even more. This is a pitching rich draft and the Tribe figures to have draft plenty of young starting pitching early and often. Keep in mind this is a farm system that is on the rise and a influx of young talented starting pitching is desperately needed in the system. That Ubaldo pick would really look good.
Other things to consider is that Ubaldo flourished under the direction of one Mickey Callaway and teams looking at him must take that into account considering the fact that other pitching coaches that Ubaldo has had in the past both with the Rockies and Indians have failed to reach him Ubaldo has spoken as Callaway is the best pitching coach he's ever had. Once again this should be a red flag to other teams that are interested in the services of Ubaldo
Be prepared with the National Media saying the Indians needed to sign either Ubaldo or Scott Kazmir who signed with Oakland A's. What the National Media doesn't seem to understand is the fact that the Indians operated with six quality starters in the 2nd half of last year when everyone was healthy. Looking at the Indians rotation in '13 it included the steady Masterson, Ubaldo, Corey Kluber who became an unsong hero before the injury, the impressive Danny Salazar, Scott Kazmir who the Indians resurrected and the steady Zach McAllister. I mention this to say even with the loss of both Ubaldo and Kazmir the Indians should still have a formidable rotation with Masterson, Kluber(who looks to be a very steady #2, IMO), Salazar who at some point could be a star and the solid Zach McAllister. Added in the talented pitchers like Carrasco, Bauer along with Tomlin. To add depth the Indians added Shawn Marcum who when healthy is a legit starter.
In looking at the pros and cons of signing Ubaldo are you going to be the Hiram that began the offseason or the Hiram towards the end of the offseason in regards to signing Ubaldo???
'
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Has Chris Grant really done a poor job of drafting??
At the one third mark of the season, the Cavaliers having a record of 10-17 and looking very bad at times fans, local and national media have weighed in on the drafting of Cavs GM Chris Grant. I take a more objective look at his drafting and at the very end ask you if Grant has really done a poor job in drafting.
After the departure of one LeBron James every fan knew that it was going to be a long rebuild to get the Cavs back to Championship caliber. Fans and media seem disappointed that the Cavs have not been better since LeBron left. I say to them that they really haven't paid attention to the front office and they haven't paid attention to how teams are built for the long term in the NBA. The problem lies with them and their unrealistic expectations.
Let's look at Chris Grants first round picks since joining the Cavs:
2011 Kyrie Irving: 1st overall pick
The consensus among the so called draft experts, fans and media was the fact that the pick would be Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams from Arizona. While it was divided most of the folks realized that Kyrie Irving was a special talent and the Cavs resisted the temptation of going with a big man who was very skilled .
Do I really need to get into the credentials of Kyrie?? Among the best PG's in the sport and could very well be the best PG. Does need to tighten up his defense but, it's pretty obvious that he was the correct pick.
2011 Tristan Thompson: 4th overall pick
Tristan Thompson was a pick for the Cavs that came somewhat out of nowhere. Currently he is blossoming into a double double a night guy with about 12 ppg and 10 rpg. Keep in mind that Tristan is getting better and better each and every time he steps onto the floor and in about another year or so will be about 15-11 player if he keeps up his progress. He plays excellent defense and is a very solid pick and roll defender. One of the highlights this year is how Tristan played Kevin Love when in Cleveland where he prevented Kevin Love from getting any open shots on the three point line. It was a superb game defensively by Tristan. All in all, I classify this as a very solid pick by Grant.
In saying that this was a solid pick I do acknowledge that it was other outstanding players on the board as well such as Jonas Valunciunas(who had to spend the year abroad), Enes Kanter, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker, Kenneth Faried and Kawhi Leonard to name a few. I think all of these players would've been solid picks but I can't blame Chris Grant for picking Thompson because he is as solid as any of the players mentioned.
2012 Dion Waiters: 4th overall pick
In coming out of Syracuse as 6th man Waiters appears as though he is about to blossom into a true Superstar who appears to be very similar to James Harden at the same stage. Some naysayers say Waiters plays better off the bench. This is a very shortsighted in my opinion because they fail to see that Waiters played well as a starter too and has no say in how the Head Coach decides to use him. Some people say that Waiters doesn't play well with Kyrie Irving. In my opinion they play beautifully together because both can handle the ball, penetrate, shoot and get others involved. Those folks are saying they don't play well together are stuck in the traditional way of thinking of having a clearly defined #1 and #2 in which the #1 handles the ball primarily and #2 is the one taking the shots. What these people fail to realize that having such a diverse backcourt gives you many options. Go take a look at the back court of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars for example.
Dion Waiters at this point in time in his 2nd year is averaging 15ppg, 2.5apg and shooting 40% from 3 point land. If you back and compare his numbers at the same stage with James Harden who in his 2nd year finished with 12 ppg, 2 apg and shot 35% from 3 point land in his 2nd year. We can further see the breakdown between the two players in what each player does per 36 minutes: In 36 minutes per game Dion is averaging 19 ppg, 3 apg and shooting 40% from 3 point land whereas, James Harden in his 2nd year per 36 minutes was about 16 ppg, 3 apg and shot 35% from 3 point land. I think we get the message Dion is a special talent and absolutely worthy of wear he was picked.
In saying that, I do acknowledge that other good players that came after Dion and would've been worthy too such as Damian Lillard, Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond(who I wanted). One a side note for those people who are still upset because the Cavs didn't take Barnes a couple of things. It doesn't take long to see that Dion Waiters has a much greater ceiling than Harrison Barnes who is a fine player in his own right and a buddy of mind who follows the Golden State Warriors told me that the Warriors were hoping that Waiters would slip to them because they were going to take him OVER Harrison Barnes. My buddy also told me that Jerry West who works as a consultant was very high on Waiters. Keep in mind that they were going to take Waiters despite having Klay Thompson too.
2012 Tyler Zeller: 16th pick(trade up)
The jury is still out on this selection. Zeller appears to be a solid role player for the Cavs and for whatever reason isn't getting the playing time he deserves at this particular time. Last year was a mixed bag for Zeller in which he showed he could hit the mid range shot, run the floor and rebound at times. In saying this though he was fairly inconsistent and was pushed around far too easily by opposing big men. If I were a new Head Coach I would be disturbed by my findings while watching this on tape.
Fast forward to this year. In the limited times that Zeller has been in games he has looked very improved and prior to the start of the regular season the buzz among the beat reporters for the Cavs was that Zeller could be the most improved Cavalier player. A freak accident in the first scrimmage and sickness has slowed his contribution to the Cavaliers. It seems the momentum is building for Zeller to start getting more playing time because of the clear decline in Andy Varajao's performance and the need to inject new blood into the rotation. The last game in which Zeller came into the game in the fourth quarter he had 13 points and four rebounds in the game and got into the game in the first half for the first time in a long time.
Players the Cavs could've taken instead: Terrance Jones, Jared Sullinger, Andrew Nicholson and Tony Wroten. All of these players would've been good. I have seen enough of Zeller to know that he isn't a bust so I am willing to give Chris Grant a pass for now on this pick. I am more encouraged with what I see and think Zeller is a product of a Head Coach that chooses to go with veteran players even when the players are failing him(more on this on another article)
2013 Anthony Bennett: 1st overall pick
Bennett to this point has been slowed because of an injury, being overweight, the progress of Tristan Thompson and a Head Coach who pushed for him to be drafted and clearly didn't have a clue on how to use him. I have seen flashes of a special player at his position even it it's at the Small or Power forward positions. His ability to play inside out is something that was attractive. In my opinion Bennett has been hampered by poor coaching of Mike Brown. In the case of the game of LAC game in which Bennett scored six points in about five minutes eight minutes he was quickly taken out of the game in the 1st half and never saw the floor again. In fairness to Brown, Bennett at times seems lost on defense and unsure of himself on offense too but this can only be corrected by playing time. The Head Coach seems to fall in love with players like Alonzo Gee, Andy Varajao and CJ Miles who have simply not gotten the job done.
I know people wanted more out of the 1st overall pick but I was under no illusion that he would struggle out of the gate with the injury, out of shape and the expectations out of team this year. With that being said, his ability to score the ball, the fact that he has lost the weight and is currently at his playing weight while in college and the fact that the veterans ahead of him simply aren't getting the job done can no longer be ignored. Bennett deserves more playing time and it's up to the head coach to find away to make it happen.
Other players that could've been considered: Victor Oladipo, Alex Len and Michael Carter Williams. Keep in mind also it was no consensus #1 pick in this draft
2013 Sergey Karsev: 19th pick- See Anthony Bennett
2013 Carrick Felix: 33rd pick- See Anthoy Bennett
So in seeing the information that I posted in this blog. I ask you has Chris Grant really done a poor job in drafting??
After the departure of one LeBron James every fan knew that it was going to be a long rebuild to get the Cavs back to Championship caliber. Fans and media seem disappointed that the Cavs have not been better since LeBron left. I say to them that they really haven't paid attention to the front office and they haven't paid attention to how teams are built for the long term in the NBA. The problem lies with them and their unrealistic expectations.
Let's look at Chris Grants first round picks since joining the Cavs:
2011 Kyrie Irving: 1st overall pick
The consensus among the so called draft experts, fans and media was the fact that the pick would be Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams from Arizona. While it was divided most of the folks realized that Kyrie Irving was a special talent and the Cavs resisted the temptation of going with a big man who was very skilled .
Do I really need to get into the credentials of Kyrie?? Among the best PG's in the sport and could very well be the best PG. Does need to tighten up his defense but, it's pretty obvious that he was the correct pick.
2011 Tristan Thompson: 4th overall pick
Tristan Thompson was a pick for the Cavs that came somewhat out of nowhere. Currently he is blossoming into a double double a night guy with about 12 ppg and 10 rpg. Keep in mind that Tristan is getting better and better each and every time he steps onto the floor and in about another year or so will be about 15-11 player if he keeps up his progress. He plays excellent defense and is a very solid pick and roll defender. One of the highlights this year is how Tristan played Kevin Love when in Cleveland where he prevented Kevin Love from getting any open shots on the three point line. It was a superb game defensively by Tristan. All in all, I classify this as a very solid pick by Grant.
In saying that this was a solid pick I do acknowledge that it was other outstanding players on the board as well such as Jonas Valunciunas(who had to spend the year abroad), Enes Kanter, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker, Kenneth Faried and Kawhi Leonard to name a few. I think all of these players would've been solid picks but I can't blame Chris Grant for picking Thompson because he is as solid as any of the players mentioned.
2012 Dion Waiters: 4th overall pick
In coming out of Syracuse as 6th man Waiters appears as though he is about to blossom into a true Superstar who appears to be very similar to James Harden at the same stage. Some naysayers say Waiters plays better off the bench. This is a very shortsighted in my opinion because they fail to see that Waiters played well as a starter too and has no say in how the Head Coach decides to use him. Some people say that Waiters doesn't play well with Kyrie Irving. In my opinion they play beautifully together because both can handle the ball, penetrate, shoot and get others involved. Those folks are saying they don't play well together are stuck in the traditional way of thinking of having a clearly defined #1 and #2 in which the #1 handles the ball primarily and #2 is the one taking the shots. What these people fail to realize that having such a diverse backcourt gives you many options. Go take a look at the back court of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars for example.
Dion Waiters at this point in time in his 2nd year is averaging 15ppg, 2.5apg and shooting 40% from 3 point land. If you back and compare his numbers at the same stage with James Harden who in his 2nd year finished with 12 ppg, 2 apg and shot 35% from 3 point land in his 2nd year. We can further see the breakdown between the two players in what each player does per 36 minutes: In 36 minutes per game Dion is averaging 19 ppg, 3 apg and shooting 40% from 3 point land whereas, James Harden in his 2nd year per 36 minutes was about 16 ppg, 3 apg and shot 35% from 3 point land. I think we get the message Dion is a special talent and absolutely worthy of wear he was picked.
In saying that, I do acknowledge that other good players that came after Dion and would've been worthy too such as Damian Lillard, Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond(who I wanted). One a side note for those people who are still upset because the Cavs didn't take Barnes a couple of things. It doesn't take long to see that Dion Waiters has a much greater ceiling than Harrison Barnes who is a fine player in his own right and a buddy of mind who follows the Golden State Warriors told me that the Warriors were hoping that Waiters would slip to them because they were going to take him OVER Harrison Barnes. My buddy also told me that Jerry West who works as a consultant was very high on Waiters. Keep in mind that they were going to take Waiters despite having Klay Thompson too.
2012 Tyler Zeller: 16th pick(trade up)
The jury is still out on this selection. Zeller appears to be a solid role player for the Cavs and for whatever reason isn't getting the playing time he deserves at this particular time. Last year was a mixed bag for Zeller in which he showed he could hit the mid range shot, run the floor and rebound at times. In saying this though he was fairly inconsistent and was pushed around far too easily by opposing big men. If I were a new Head Coach I would be disturbed by my findings while watching this on tape.
Fast forward to this year. In the limited times that Zeller has been in games he has looked very improved and prior to the start of the regular season the buzz among the beat reporters for the Cavs was that Zeller could be the most improved Cavalier player. A freak accident in the first scrimmage and sickness has slowed his contribution to the Cavaliers. It seems the momentum is building for Zeller to start getting more playing time because of the clear decline in Andy Varajao's performance and the need to inject new blood into the rotation. The last game in which Zeller came into the game in the fourth quarter he had 13 points and four rebounds in the game and got into the game in the first half for the first time in a long time.
Players the Cavs could've taken instead: Terrance Jones, Jared Sullinger, Andrew Nicholson and Tony Wroten. All of these players would've been good. I have seen enough of Zeller to know that he isn't a bust so I am willing to give Chris Grant a pass for now on this pick. I am more encouraged with what I see and think Zeller is a product of a Head Coach that chooses to go with veteran players even when the players are failing him(more on this on another article)
2013 Anthony Bennett: 1st overall pick
Bennett to this point has been slowed because of an injury, being overweight, the progress of Tristan Thompson and a Head Coach who pushed for him to be drafted and clearly didn't have a clue on how to use him. I have seen flashes of a special player at his position even it it's at the Small or Power forward positions. His ability to play inside out is something that was attractive. In my opinion Bennett has been hampered by poor coaching of Mike Brown. In the case of the game of LAC game in which Bennett scored six points in about five minutes eight minutes he was quickly taken out of the game in the 1st half and never saw the floor again. In fairness to Brown, Bennett at times seems lost on defense and unsure of himself on offense too but this can only be corrected by playing time. The Head Coach seems to fall in love with players like Alonzo Gee, Andy Varajao and CJ Miles who have simply not gotten the job done.
I know people wanted more out of the 1st overall pick but I was under no illusion that he would struggle out of the gate with the injury, out of shape and the expectations out of team this year. With that being said, his ability to score the ball, the fact that he has lost the weight and is currently at his playing weight while in college and the fact that the veterans ahead of him simply aren't getting the job done can no longer be ignored. Bennett deserves more playing time and it's up to the head coach to find away to make it happen.
Other players that could've been considered: Victor Oladipo, Alex Len and Michael Carter Williams. Keep in mind also it was no consensus #1 pick in this draft
2013 Sergey Karsev: 19th pick- See Anthony Bennett
2013 Carrick Felix: 33rd pick- See Anthoy Bennett
So in seeing the information that I posted in this blog. I ask you has Chris Grant really done a poor job in drafting??
Monday, October 28, 2013
Why the Cavaliers are 53 win team
As the Cavaliers embark on another NBA season I am often looked at and called names because of the high expectations I have for this Cavs team. I consider this team a potentially very good team that can beat anyone in a series when totally healthy. In this blog I will explain my reasoning and would like to challenge all the readers in what they agree or disagree with.
HEALTH: IMO, this is the biggest question mark of the team because once the Cavs get past this issue they are a very dangerous team. I for one think that the Kyrie Irvin and Anderson Verajao injuries last year were flukes and don't go as far as calling folks injury prone like some others. I think that sometimes players have the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time and get injured.
In saying that those two players alone being relatively healthy will help this team immensely. Andy was averaging a double double each and every night with his hustle and I don't need to mention all the superlatives for one Kyrie Irving. I do understand the question marks around Andrew Bynum's health because having missed an entire year one will be wise to not count on him until he actually takes the court. Bynum in my mind is the key to the Cavs being a 7-8 seed or a 3-5 seed. Once Bynum takes the court, works off the initial rust, he allows the Cavs to be able to matchup with anyone in the NBA including the likes of Miami, LAC, BKN and everyone else in the NBA.
GROWTH: Yes the Cavs have a number of players that are still getting better at their respective positions. It's safe to say that with improved play around him that Kyrie Irving is going to be that much more effective, I expect Dion Waiters to take a major step forward both on the offensive and defensive end(Kyrie on defense). It was apparent to me that Dion is much more confident in his jumper today as opposed to last year. Tristan Thompson seems to be getting better and better each and every time he plays. I would be stunned to not see him average a double double each and every night.
Let's not forget the rookies who will grow and get better as the season progresses in Bennett, Karasev and Felix. Bennett showed flashes in the preseason in that he is going to be a very good player once he gets into shape, mixes up his game a bit better and has more confidence in imposing his talents on others. Karasev on the other hand has shown he can shoot from outside and is a wonderful passer. Karasev does need to get stronger but that will come in time. Felix will be used primarily on defense which he is very good at.
DEPTH: When everyone is healthy you have to admit that the Cavs have one of the better benches in the NBA. No matter who you start at the #3 you have depth and versatility throughout. Let's take a look at it.
Assuming the starting five of
Bynum
Thompson
Gee
Waiters
Kyrie
which when healthy is a damn good starting five
Bench:
Verajao
Zeller- who unfortunately we didn't get to see in the preseason because of injury and surgery. I heard that he had looked as though he had vastly improved his game too
Bennett
Clark
Miles
Karasev
Jack- who if not mistaken came in 2nd in 6th man of the year award.
Off the top of my head it's only two benches I would rather have in the NBA more than the Cavs' bench and that's Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets other than that the Cavs are as good if not better than any bench in the NBA.
On aside, I think alot of ppl underestimate the importance of production off the bench is and IMO, this is why I'm not as high on some teams like Warriors, Thunder, Bulls and others. By the time the last part of the year roles around you can usually tell the teams that have good benches because the teams that don't are inconsistent and injured because they logged far too many minutes.
All in all the Cavs will wear teams down during the course of the game and year with the ability to adjust and play multiple guys.
DEFENSE: Damn, it's so good to have Mike Brown back. I say this because no longer do we have to wonder if we will win once we get a 27-30 point lead, no longer will we see the same mistakes over and over again with guys not knowing who guard in the last seconds of games. Yes I still remember in games last year where Austin Carr would ask "why are we switching?" while in pick and roll defense. Brown is going to demand excellence on defense and from the very first game of the regular season you could see that the defense is so much better.
We saw better pick and roll defense, we saw a rotating defense that had purpose and dictated to the offense what it could and could not do, etc. In the Case of Dion and Kyrie buying into the defense it's going to lead to them being more successful because they will get steals and easy baskets because of it. In order to beat some of the better teams it will be this that will keep them in the games when their shots aren't falling. With the added depth the Cavs can be relentless for all 48 minutes because they don't have to worry about guys getting tired or guys playing way too many minutes.
Please give feedback on my analysis:
BTW, I do acknowledge that the East has gotten much better but the Cavs should be able to hold it's own against anyone.
HEALTH: IMO, this is the biggest question mark of the team because once the Cavs get past this issue they are a very dangerous team. I for one think that the Kyrie Irvin and Anderson Verajao injuries last year were flukes and don't go as far as calling folks injury prone like some others. I think that sometimes players have the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time and get injured.
In saying that those two players alone being relatively healthy will help this team immensely. Andy was averaging a double double each and every night with his hustle and I don't need to mention all the superlatives for one Kyrie Irving. I do understand the question marks around Andrew Bynum's health because having missed an entire year one will be wise to not count on him until he actually takes the court. Bynum in my mind is the key to the Cavs being a 7-8 seed or a 3-5 seed. Once Bynum takes the court, works off the initial rust, he allows the Cavs to be able to matchup with anyone in the NBA including the likes of Miami, LAC, BKN and everyone else in the NBA.
GROWTH: Yes the Cavs have a number of players that are still getting better at their respective positions. It's safe to say that with improved play around him that Kyrie Irving is going to be that much more effective, I expect Dion Waiters to take a major step forward both on the offensive and defensive end(Kyrie on defense). It was apparent to me that Dion is much more confident in his jumper today as opposed to last year. Tristan Thompson seems to be getting better and better each and every time he plays. I would be stunned to not see him average a double double each and every night.
Let's not forget the rookies who will grow and get better as the season progresses in Bennett, Karasev and Felix. Bennett showed flashes in the preseason in that he is going to be a very good player once he gets into shape, mixes up his game a bit better and has more confidence in imposing his talents on others. Karasev on the other hand has shown he can shoot from outside and is a wonderful passer. Karasev does need to get stronger but that will come in time. Felix will be used primarily on defense which he is very good at.
DEPTH: When everyone is healthy you have to admit that the Cavs have one of the better benches in the NBA. No matter who you start at the #3 you have depth and versatility throughout. Let's take a look at it.
Assuming the starting five of
Bynum
Thompson
Gee
Waiters
Kyrie
which when healthy is a damn good starting five
Bench:
Verajao
Zeller- who unfortunately we didn't get to see in the preseason because of injury and surgery. I heard that he had looked as though he had vastly improved his game too
Bennett
Clark
Miles
Karasev
Jack- who if not mistaken came in 2nd in 6th man of the year award.
Off the top of my head it's only two benches I would rather have in the NBA more than the Cavs' bench and that's Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets other than that the Cavs are as good if not better than any bench in the NBA.
On aside, I think alot of ppl underestimate the importance of production off the bench is and IMO, this is why I'm not as high on some teams like Warriors, Thunder, Bulls and others. By the time the last part of the year roles around you can usually tell the teams that have good benches because the teams that don't are inconsistent and injured because they logged far too many minutes.
All in all the Cavs will wear teams down during the course of the game and year with the ability to adjust and play multiple guys.
DEFENSE: Damn, it's so good to have Mike Brown back. I say this because no longer do we have to wonder if we will win once we get a 27-30 point lead, no longer will we see the same mistakes over and over again with guys not knowing who guard in the last seconds of games. Yes I still remember in games last year where Austin Carr would ask "why are we switching?" while in pick and roll defense. Brown is going to demand excellence on defense and from the very first game of the regular season you could see that the defense is so much better.
We saw better pick and roll defense, we saw a rotating defense that had purpose and dictated to the offense what it could and could not do, etc. In the Case of Dion and Kyrie buying into the defense it's going to lead to them being more successful because they will get steals and easy baskets because of it. In order to beat some of the better teams it will be this that will keep them in the games when their shots aren't falling. With the added depth the Cavs can be relentless for all 48 minutes because they don't have to worry about guys getting tired or guys playing way too many minutes.
Please give feedback on my analysis:
BTW, I do acknowledge that the East has gotten much better but the Cavs should be able to hold it's own against anyone.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Lions vs Browns
You talk about a tale of two halves: This game was one of those and I will illustrate some of the points I saw in where the Browns lost this game. After watching the game over it became apparent what the BIGGEST point of failure was even though multiple things went wrong on both offense and defense.
1st half offense:
Absolutely no problems with the play calling whatsoever. Saw a nice combo of run and pass and it was working very effectively. Also, it was a combo of short and long passes. It's maddening the number of long plays this team misses because of dropped passes. The first throw to Gordon over the middle in which he would've had a big gainer and the pass before halftime in which it went off his finger tips. You have to make those plays. My biggest issue in the 1st half offensively was the poor decision by Weeden on that INT. I understand he was trying to make a play but, he killed a promising drive. If he's going to throw that pass make sure his man is the only one that can catch it. Not happy with that throw one bit.
1st half defense:
In watching the game there were signs that we would see what we saw in the 2nd half. The run defense in the 1st half was very stout. TJ Ward made alot of plays close to the line of scrimmage(he also missed some tackles). The pass rush throughout the entire game was none existent. Mingo is seeing that his 1.5 moves isn't nearly good enough an Paul Kruger is who I thought he was. Please, don't get me wrong I still like Mingo and think he's going to be a good player but it's going to take time and you won't see him blossom this year.
The lack of pass rush was particularly a problem because it exposed the real weaknesses in coverage in Jackson and for this game Robertson. Robertson had by far his worst game as a pro and in the 2nd half needed to be benched. His play was TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. On the back end of the defense they are really blossoming. Skrine is not only becoming a good player but someone who can be relied upon to make consistent plays. Gipson is the same way. Remember when everyone wanted to go out and sign all these vet players??
2nd half offense:
This is where the game was lost, IMO: Instead of continuing to do what they did in the first half the offensive game plan got greedy and impatient. We've seen this story before. The penalties didn't help though, especially the first drive in the 2nd half. In the 2nd half the offense was screaming for a slant pass that would get them a 1st down so they could keep the drive going. Plus the offense abandoned the run far to easily. Weeden got kinda hot in the 2nd half so they thought they were going to continue to build off that but the deep passes they were trying to execute weren't there. All in all, the ineptitude of the offense was the biggest reason why with big aid from poor Coaching.
The INEXCUSABLE play by Weeden cannot be tolerated and he knows this: He has to eat that ball. I do understand that he didn't want to take a sack but it's better to take the sack and live another day. The sad part about that the play was that Weeden did a beautiful of not forcing the ball into his primary WR on that play but did a poor job of throwing the ball Obognnaya when that play wasn't there. Also, it took away from an impressive drive he was having moving the team. All in all, no issues with his overall play but those mistakes have to be avoided because it not only exposes the defense but it kills momentum.
2nd half defense:
The lack of pass rush continued and DQ and Robertson continued to be exposed. The only difference in the defense was that the tackling was becoming an issue because they were out there for so long. It also needs to be noted that the defense allowed the Lions to get the ball and march right down for a TD in the 2nd half. Also, 3rd downs continue to be a problem for this defense.
Observations:
Supposedly, Norv is the one calling the plays but make no mistake this isn't Norv's offense: I've followed Norv's offense everywhere he's been and Norv is a grind it out type of OC, running the ball three times in the 2nd half isn't grinding it out. Conversely, this offense has Chud written all over it. We've seen this before this year with the lack of running the ball and it goes back to what he did at CAR too. When he was here, Romeo insisted on him being much more balanced .
Guys catch the damn ball: Missing on far too many plays when the balls are perfectly thrown and the drops happen. The two big plays to Gordon stands out. Not saying guys have to be perfect but drops like that hurt because they assuredly would've lead to major points being scored.
Brandon Weeden: I thought he was EXCELLENT in the first half outside of that poor decision on INT. The 2nd INT is totally inexcusable and unacceptable. In the 2nd half not as efficient but did make some very, very good throws. The Pass to Little that was ruled incomplete was fantastic. The slant throws he made all game long totally dis spells the talk he has no touch. Often threw the balls into tight Windows. Other things that are noticeable is how he's moving his head to make other throws when primary WR's aren't open. He's gotten considerable better at this since last year. Another thing is that he hangs in the pocket alot better. I noted this in the Miami game. He threw a strike to Greg Little when he was interfered with with a man in his face.
Bottom line with Weeden: Eliminate the bone headed plays and you will be a very good player for the next 5-7 yrs no matter where you are.
Defensively:
Horton needed to replace Craig Robertson in the 2nd half after a nice warning about his first half play. His play was totally unacceptable and looking at Robertson's body language in the game he knows he sucked in the game. Also, my biggest fear on the defense finally was exposed. DQ is a very big liability in pass coverage and has been for a long time.
Mingo is starting to be exposed as a pass rush threat. It's like a guy you get in baseball who throws 100 mph but can't get anything else over the plate expect for an occasional curve ball. Sooner rather than later the hitters will time you up. Same goes with Mingo. His lack of pass rush moves and having only that speed rush and occasional spin move isn't making him effective. This team misses Sheard so much because of his knack of making plays in the run and passing game. Quentin Groves should be getting more PT too(I'm scratching my head as to why we're not seeing him on pass rush alot more). I'm growing tired of the Paul Kruger's version of the invisible man
1st half offense:
Absolutely no problems with the play calling whatsoever. Saw a nice combo of run and pass and it was working very effectively. Also, it was a combo of short and long passes. It's maddening the number of long plays this team misses because of dropped passes. The first throw to Gordon over the middle in which he would've had a big gainer and the pass before halftime in which it went off his finger tips. You have to make those plays. My biggest issue in the 1st half offensively was the poor decision by Weeden on that INT. I understand he was trying to make a play but, he killed a promising drive. If he's going to throw that pass make sure his man is the only one that can catch it. Not happy with that throw one bit.
1st half defense:
In watching the game there were signs that we would see what we saw in the 2nd half. The run defense in the 1st half was very stout. TJ Ward made alot of plays close to the line of scrimmage(he also missed some tackles). The pass rush throughout the entire game was none existent. Mingo is seeing that his 1.5 moves isn't nearly good enough an Paul Kruger is who I thought he was. Please, don't get me wrong I still like Mingo and think he's going to be a good player but it's going to take time and you won't see him blossom this year.
The lack of pass rush was particularly a problem because it exposed the real weaknesses in coverage in Jackson and for this game Robertson. Robertson had by far his worst game as a pro and in the 2nd half needed to be benched. His play was TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. On the back end of the defense they are really blossoming. Skrine is not only becoming a good player but someone who can be relied upon to make consistent plays. Gipson is the same way. Remember when everyone wanted to go out and sign all these vet players??
2nd half offense:
This is where the game was lost, IMO: Instead of continuing to do what they did in the first half the offensive game plan got greedy and impatient. We've seen this story before. The penalties didn't help though, especially the first drive in the 2nd half. In the 2nd half the offense was screaming for a slant pass that would get them a 1st down so they could keep the drive going. Plus the offense abandoned the run far to easily. Weeden got kinda hot in the 2nd half so they thought they were going to continue to build off that but the deep passes they were trying to execute weren't there. All in all, the ineptitude of the offense was the biggest reason why with big aid from poor Coaching.
The INEXCUSABLE play by Weeden cannot be tolerated and he knows this: He has to eat that ball. I do understand that he didn't want to take a sack but it's better to take the sack and live another day. The sad part about that the play was that Weeden did a beautiful of not forcing the ball into his primary WR on that play but did a poor job of throwing the ball Obognnaya when that play wasn't there. Also, it took away from an impressive drive he was having moving the team. All in all, no issues with his overall play but those mistakes have to be avoided because it not only exposes the defense but it kills momentum.
2nd half defense:
The lack of pass rush continued and DQ and Robertson continued to be exposed. The only difference in the defense was that the tackling was becoming an issue because they were out there for so long. It also needs to be noted that the defense allowed the Lions to get the ball and march right down for a TD in the 2nd half. Also, 3rd downs continue to be a problem for this defense.
Observations:
Supposedly, Norv is the one calling the plays but make no mistake this isn't Norv's offense: I've followed Norv's offense everywhere he's been and Norv is a grind it out type of OC, running the ball three times in the 2nd half isn't grinding it out. Conversely, this offense has Chud written all over it. We've seen this before this year with the lack of running the ball and it goes back to what he did at CAR too. When he was here, Romeo insisted on him being much more balanced .
Guys catch the damn ball: Missing on far too many plays when the balls are perfectly thrown and the drops happen. The two big plays to Gordon stands out. Not saying guys have to be perfect but drops like that hurt because they assuredly would've lead to major points being scored.
Brandon Weeden: I thought he was EXCELLENT in the first half outside of that poor decision on INT. The 2nd INT is totally inexcusable and unacceptable. In the 2nd half not as efficient but did make some very, very good throws. The Pass to Little that was ruled incomplete was fantastic. The slant throws he made all game long totally dis spells the talk he has no touch. Often threw the balls into tight Windows. Other things that are noticeable is how he's moving his head to make other throws when primary WR's aren't open. He's gotten considerable better at this since last year. Another thing is that he hangs in the pocket alot better. I noted this in the Miami game. He threw a strike to Greg Little when he was interfered with with a man in his face.
Bottom line with Weeden: Eliminate the bone headed plays and you will be a very good player for the next 5-7 yrs no matter where you are.
Defensively:
Horton needed to replace Craig Robertson in the 2nd half after a nice warning about his first half play. His play was totally unacceptable and looking at Robertson's body language in the game he knows he sucked in the game. Also, my biggest fear on the defense finally was exposed. DQ is a very big liability in pass coverage and has been for a long time.
Mingo is starting to be exposed as a pass rush threat. It's like a guy you get in baseball who throws 100 mph but can't get anything else over the plate expect for an occasional curve ball. Sooner rather than later the hitters will time you up. Same goes with Mingo. His lack of pass rush moves and having only that speed rush and occasional spin move isn't making him effective. This team misses Sheard so much because of his knack of making plays in the run and passing game. Quentin Groves should be getting more PT too(I'm scratching my head as to why we're not seeing him on pass rush alot more). I'm growing tired of the Paul Kruger's version of the invisible man
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Joe Flacco
I often get strange looks when I mention that Joe Flacco is my 20th ranked QB in the NFL even though the Ravens just won a Super Bowl. I was inspired to show how I got to this point and my reasoning for putting in so low. I found the need to put all the different QB's ahead of Flacco into categories because each QB is in a different stage of development.
The Super Elite: These are the QB's that are without a doubt big time players and have shown repeatedy that they can get the job done on the biggest of stages. Joe Flacco cannot touch any of these QB's no matter how you spin it. Further, these QB's are often the first thing you think of when you think of their respective teams and DCs often have to game plan against. These guys are in no particular order.
2. Peyton Manning
3. Arron Rodgers
4. Matt Ryan
5.Tom Brady
The Elite: These are the guys who are continual outstanding performers but, for whatever reason they can't seem to get over the hump. These guys are any moment can carry a team and have demonstrated a high level of consistency throughout their career. Again, in no particular order.
6. Carson Palmer
7. Phillip Rivers
8. Eli Manning
9. Matt Schaub
10. Tony Romo
The Super Rookies: These are the Rookies/2nd year players that you can clearly see that sooner than later is going to greatly exceed anything that Flacco has done or will ever do. These guys are going to be so outstanding for a long time that it is justified that these guys should be called Franchise QB's.
11. Colin Kaepernick
12. Robert Griffin III
13. Andrew Luck
14. Cam Newton
15 Russell Wilson
The Inconsistent Elite: These are the guys who have tremendous upside but, it's just a matter of time before they put it altogether and become big time players at their position. These guys have been somewhat inconsistent due to alot of things not all in their control but, I would never trade any of these guys for Joe Flacco.
16. Matthew Stafford
17. Josh Freeman
18. Sam Bradford
19. Andy Dalton
*In the case of Andy Dalton more scrutiny and work needs to be done because I'm still not convinced he can make ALL the throws necessary to be possible elite. In looking at is body of work in the two years he's been in the league, it's hard not to be very impressed though.
This puts Joe Flacco as my 20th ranked QB. Yes, he has been solid and he had a tremendous run as a QB to the Super Bowl but, lets not get carried away about this great playoff run because his entire body of work has been up and down(mostly up) but, far from elite or should be called a franchise QB.
The Super Elite: These are the QB's that are without a doubt big time players and have shown repeatedy that they can get the job done on the biggest of stages. Joe Flacco cannot touch any of these QB's no matter how you spin it. Further, these QB's are often the first thing you think of when you think of their respective teams and DCs often have to game plan against. These guys are in no particular order.
1. Ben Roethlisberger
3. Arron Rodgers
4. Matt Ryan
5.Tom Brady
The Elite: These are the guys who are continual outstanding performers but, for whatever reason they can't seem to get over the hump. These guys are any moment can carry a team and have demonstrated a high level of consistency throughout their career. Again, in no particular order.
6. Carson Palmer
7. Phillip Rivers
8. Eli Manning
9. Matt Schaub
10. Tony Romo
The Super Rookies: These are the Rookies/2nd year players that you can clearly see that sooner than later is going to greatly exceed anything that Flacco has done or will ever do. These guys are going to be so outstanding for a long time that it is justified that these guys should be called Franchise QB's.
11. Colin Kaepernick
12. Robert Griffin III
13. Andrew Luck
14. Cam Newton
15 Russell Wilson
The Inconsistent Elite: These are the guys who have tremendous upside but, it's just a matter of time before they put it altogether and become big time players at their position. These guys have been somewhat inconsistent due to alot of things not all in their control but, I would never trade any of these guys for Joe Flacco.
16. Matthew Stafford
17. Josh Freeman
18. Sam Bradford
19. Andy Dalton
*In the case of Andy Dalton more scrutiny and work needs to be done because I'm still not convinced he can make ALL the throws necessary to be possible elite. In looking at is body of work in the two years he's been in the league, it's hard not to be very impressed though.
This puts Joe Flacco as my 20th ranked QB. Yes, he has been solid and he had a tremendous run as a QB to the Super Bowl but, lets not get carried away about this great playoff run because his entire body of work has been up and down(mostly up) but, far from elite or should be called a franchise QB.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Haden vs Revis
Keep in mind I consider a shut down CB as a CB that can go up against
the very best WR's and limit them if not shut them down. I did Revis vs
Haden.
Darrelle Revis:
Revis played against the following top WR's:
Steve Johnson(Buf)
Wes Welker(NE)
Brnadon Marshall(MIA)
Jeremy Maclin(PHI)
Demaryius Thomas(DEN)
Dewayne Bowe(KC)
Revis vs Steve Johnson in two meetings: 3 catches for 84 yards and 8 catches for 75 yards
Revis vs Wes Welker: in two meetings: 5 catches for 124 yards and 6 catches for 64 yards
Revis vs Brandon Marshall: in two meetings: 6 catches for 109 yards and 5 catches for 50 yards
Revis vs Jeremy Maclin: one meeting: 3 catches for 57 yards
Revis vs Demaryius Thomas: one meeting: 2 catches for 37 yards
Revis vs Dwayne Bowe: one meeting 6 catches for 69 yards
Joe Haden:
Haden against the following top WR's:
Michael Crabtree:(SF)
AJ Green:(CIN)
Larry Fitzgerald(AZ)
Brandon Marshall(MIA):
Mike Wallace(PIT):
Pierre Garcon(IND):
Haden vs Crabtree: one meeting: 5 catches for 54 yards
Haden vs AJ Green: two meetings: one catch for 41 yards(that play where the Browns were knapping) and 3 catches for 110 yards
Haden vs Larry Fitzgerald: one meeting: 3 catches for 62 yards
Haden vs Mike Wallace: two meetings: 4 catches for 57 yards and 1 catch for 11 yards
Haden vs Brandon Marshall: one meeting: 4 catches for 43 yards
Haden vs Pierre Garcon: one meeting: 3 catches for 28 yards
Darrelle Revis:
Revis played against the following top WR's:
Steve Johnson(Buf)
Wes Welker(NE)
Brnadon Marshall(MIA)
Jeremy Maclin(PHI)
Demaryius Thomas(DEN)
Dewayne Bowe(KC)
Revis vs Steve Johnson in two meetings: 3 catches for 84 yards and 8 catches for 75 yards
Revis vs Wes Welker: in two meetings: 5 catches for 124 yards and 6 catches for 64 yards
Revis vs Brandon Marshall: in two meetings: 6 catches for 109 yards and 5 catches for 50 yards
Revis vs Jeremy Maclin: one meeting: 3 catches for 57 yards
Revis vs Demaryius Thomas: one meeting: 2 catches for 37 yards
Revis vs Dwayne Bowe: one meeting 6 catches for 69 yards
Joe Haden:
Haden against the following top WR's:
Michael Crabtree:(SF)
AJ Green:(CIN)
Larry Fitzgerald(AZ)
Brandon Marshall(MIA):
Mike Wallace(PIT):
Pierre Garcon(IND):
Haden vs Crabtree: one meeting: 5 catches for 54 yards
Haden vs AJ Green: two meetings: one catch for 41 yards(that play where the Browns were knapping) and 3 catches for 110 yards
Haden vs Larry Fitzgerald: one meeting: 3 catches for 62 yards
Haden vs Mike Wallace: two meetings: 4 catches for 57 yards and 1 catch for 11 yards
Haden vs Brandon Marshall: one meeting: 4 catches for 43 yards
Haden vs Pierre Garcon: one meeting: 3 catches for 28 yards
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Random Thoughts
Even though he didn't get the victory Ubaldo set the tone with an outstanding pitching performance. He got in and out of trouble but, didn't give up the big hit as he has done in other performances. The Indians will need more of this going forward because it appears that reinforcements could be on the way to help them stay in the race the entire season. Also, it is obvious that the Indians really miss Rafael Perez. He had become very reliable in the Indians bullpen since 07'. His presence in the Indians bullpen not only balances the bullpen with a lefty but, allows Joe Smith to be more a specialty pitcher. I do predict that Cody Allen sooner rather than later will be the man for the seventh.
The Indians' FO needs to step up to the plate and make moves to help this team. The team desperately needs reinforcements in the form of at least another hitter and maybe another starter. It comes a point in time where the Indians FO needs to stop talking a good game and doing something. Yes, we know it's a tough trading market because of the extra wildcard but, other teams seem to make moves to improve. No more excuses for the FO. It's put up or shut up time.
I must say that with the start of Browns camp, I am most disappointed and disgusted with the fans in this region who are so ready to jump ship on the Indians to give all support and love to the Browns. It seems that some were wishing the Indians to get swept out this series so, they can declare them dead so they can talk Browns all day. For a region to have not won anything in 50 years it's a darn shame that the people don't grasp onto any team that's a contender and go with them until they can't anymore. It shows that people in the region are stuck and lack the capacity to change, adapt.
The Indians' FO needs to step up to the plate and make moves to help this team. The team desperately needs reinforcements in the form of at least another hitter and maybe another starter. It comes a point in time where the Indians FO needs to stop talking a good game and doing something. Yes, we know it's a tough trading market because of the extra wildcard but, other teams seem to make moves to improve. No more excuses for the FO. It's put up or shut up time.
I must say that with the start of Browns camp, I am most disappointed and disgusted with the fans in this region who are so ready to jump ship on the Indians to give all support and love to the Browns. It seems that some were wishing the Indians to get swept out this series so, they can declare them dead so they can talk Browns all day. For a region to have not won anything in 50 years it's a darn shame that the people don't grasp onto any team that's a contender and go with them until they can't anymore. It shows that people in the region are stuck and lack the capacity to change, adapt.
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